1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to male coaxial cable connectors operable for electrically connecting a center conductor in a coaxial cable to a mating female port.
2. Prior Art
Connectors adapted to form a secure, electrically conductive connection between a coaxial cable and a threaded female port have are well known in the art. Such prior art connectors are discussed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,383 to Holland et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,676,446, 6,153,830 and 6,558,194 to Montena, U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,605 to Ming-Hua, U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,749 to Hemmer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,593,964 to Forney, Jr. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,861 to Stirling, U.S. Pat. No. 5,073,129 to Szegda, U.S. Pat. No. 3,710,005 to French and U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,699 to Holliday. U.S. Pat. No. 5,879,191 to Burris, discusses prior art efforts to provide a coaxial connector which is moisture-proof and minimizes radiative loss of signal from the cable. A radial compression type of coaxial cable connector of the type generally used today, is described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,651 to Szegda, and the disclosure and discussion of the prior art of Szegda '651 relating to radial compression coaxial cable connectors is incorporated herein by reference thereto
While the innovative plethora of prior art connectors, some of which are disclosed above, provide improved moisture sealing and/or RF leakage characteristics, all have inherent limitations. For example, the integrity of the attachment between the cable and connector is “craft sensitive”, depending on the skill of the installer. In order to provide a secure, sealing engagement between a compression-type male coaxial cable connector and a coaxial cable, a series of steps must be performed. Installation of a coaxial cable connector on a coaxial cable requires that the end of the cable first be prepared to receive the connector. The connector is then manually forced onto the prepared end of the cable until the protective jacket and underlying conductive braid of the cable are separated from the dielectric core of the cable by engagement with a tubular shank disposed therebetween. The cable is further advanced into the connector by hand, which requires the application of substantial force by the installer, until the correct depth of insertion is attained. Finally, the connector is securely affixed to the cable by compressing the connector, again by hand, with a compression tool.
With most prior art connectors, during the compression step, the cable jacket and conductive braid are compressed against an annular barb disposed on the outer surface of the aforesaid underlying tubular shank during the final several millimeters of compressive travel. If the installer fails to completely compress the connector, especially in the final 20 percent of the compressive range, the connector may come loose. In addition, if the cable is not fully inserted into the conduit, the connector may come loose and/or the electrical connection may fail. In the above-referenced prior art patents, the compression sleeve is nondetachably attached to the trailing end of the connector body thereby recessing the trailing end of the ferrule or center post within the connector where it is not visible to an installer.
The step of inserting the prepared end of a cable into a connector such that the center post or ferrule on the connector slides between and separates the braided shielding from the dielectric layer of the cable is an art. If the trailing end of the ferrule is recessed too deeply within the trailing end of a connector, it may be difficult to achieve proper alignment in order to accomplish the intended function. Accordingly, there is an advantage to providing a connector wherein the compression sleeve may be detached from the trailing end of the connector body to facilitate visualization of the trailing end of the ferrule and enable proper insertion of the cable into the connector. Rodrigues et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 6,530,807, provides a connector that includes a connector body having a cable receiving end and an opposed connection end. A locking sleeve is provided in detachable, re-attachable snap engagement with the insertion end (i.e., trailing end) of the connector body for securing the cable in the connector body. The cable may be terminated to the connector by inserting the cable into the locking sleeve or the locking sleeve may be detachably removed from the connector body and the cable inserted directly into the connector body with the locking sleeve detached subsequently.
The skilled artisan will appreciate that it would be an advancement in the art to provide a male coaxial cable connector, particularly a connector operable for attachment to, but not limited to, F-type, BNC and RCA-type female fittings, wherein a single such male coaxial cable connector can be securely attached to coaxial cables in a conventional manner (i.e., compression) even when different cables having different outer diameters are employed.
With the increased use of internet and pay-per-view digital services on cable TV systems, it is desirable to have a higher level of shielding on coaxial cables in order to prevent ingress of RF noise. In large cities, where RF noise is a problem, cable companies have begun using a coaxial cable having the same diameter dielectric layer (RG-6 for example) but with the thickness of the overlying shield increased from a double shielding to triple or quad shielding. These additional shielding braids make the outer diameter of the cable larger, thereby requiring a cable installer to have access to a variety of connectors in order to ensure that a connector is available that can be securely attached to each cable.
Holland (the present inventor), in U.S. Pat. No. 7,008,263, the content and teaching of which patent is incorporated herein by reference thereto, discloses a reusable male coaxial cable connector comprising a connector nut affixed to the leading end of a tubular shank, the tubular shank having a trailing end extending rearwardly from the connector nut. The connector further comprises a tubular body portion concentrically mounted to overlie the tubular shank. The tubular body portion has a leading end rotatably (or nonrotatably) connected to the connector nut, and a trailing end in opposition thereto, the tubular body portion having a first axial conduit. The connector also includes a compression sleeve having a leading end and a second axial conduit slidably and removably disposed within the first axial conduit, and a deformable compression ring removably disposed within the first axial conduit forward of the leading end of the compression sleeve.
The connector described in the '263 patent is, in certain situations, difficult to use. The disposition of the compression sleeve within the first axial conduit of the tubular body portion renders it difficult for an installer to grip the compression sleeve for removal from the connector in the event that it is desired to replace the deformable compression ring with a compression ring that has a more preferred inner diameter for the particular cable to which the connector is to be affixed. There is a need for a coaxial cable connector similar to the connector described in the aforesaid '263 patent but wherein the compression sleeve is disposed on the connector in such a way that the compression sleeve is easy for an installer to grip for removal and/or for a tool to grip for compression.